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Prog 2088 - Portal Enemies

Started by Colin YNWA, 30 June, 2018, 09:27:31 PM

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Colin YNWA

Another fine Prog bursting out from behind a nice Neil Roberts cover.

The thing is the current line-up seems to be spliting folks and I can kinda see why. Mind that said I suspect one thing we can all get behind here is Dredd by Williams and Weston. Grest piece of set up which swings into high gear on the last page with [spoiler]some space (almost) apes[/spoiler]. What's not to love here?

Skip Tracer however continues to be what its always been a hook short of a good thrill. Its almost impossible to tell how much potential this strip has as I'm just struggling to engage with the led or the events that he dynamically blasts through.

The Order on the other hand while leaving some behind and in the cold has me utterly engaged and involved this is wonderful stuff and part one of a magnicient Kek-W double header this month.

Durham Red continues as was ... except it adds some nice elements to the leds mythos suddenly our heroine flashes into a more direct representation of her vampiric nature... interesting and while it might be a little uncomfortable I've enjoyed this more than enough to give it the benefit of the doubt.

We get Kek-W part two in the consistantly fantastic (these days) Deadworld as our story builds and builds the story and the world its inhabiting has many elements to play with. It could get this wrong and be leaving readers behind, but for me its juggling all this very, very well.

I can kinda see why all these stories (Dredd aside) might be dividing option but for me I'm luckily landing on a 4 out of 5 so I'm very much in the Tharg camp right now.

spoiler tag added — IP


Magnetica

An improvement over last week, mostly due to a much better Dredd.

Rob Williams and Chris Weston seem to be the best creative team on this recently. I just think Rob Williams gets the tone of the strip better than anyone else who isn't called John Wagner. I say that as someone who like Michael Carrol's Dredd, but this is just up a level. I was though wondering if Pin was going to make an appearance.  :)

I can't believe Skip Tracer ends next week. If only because it feels like it is  just getting going. For that reason would like to see more.

Equally it feels like Durham Red is wrapping up too soon. I want to see more, but with Ben Willsher back on it. Hopefully he is ok to resume drawing soon.

Kek-double U continues to bewilder and intrigue at the same time.

James Stacey

Cracking Dredd this week after last weeks dud (stellar art not withstanding). This has it all MC1 Craziness, intrigue,  an interesting cast, all wrapped up in the best in the biz art.

Geoff

And with that Williams/Weston Dredd, Tharg has my subscription for another year.

He probably had it just with the second panel on p4, but with the new Ape Gang appearing on the last page - oh joy!!


There were some other strips in the prog too I think...

BPP

Cover - another very odd pose, looks like he's riding an invisible chopper not jumping through a portal into an ambush. Still it's nicely executed.

Dredd - Williams comedy Dredd is the second best Williams Dredd (behind Williams angry Dredd) and Weston brings a real Casanovas style to the proceedings. Not too sure comedy judges work (the remarks about Dredd in front of him, the cadet gag) to be honest.  Still good stuff.

Skip Tracer - all action this week. Not as much fun art wise and the episode didn't really push the story on. Still likeable but definitely need to find a hook for the lead to be of interest. I'm not actually sure why he's that bothered about the princess? I get he needs to make rent and dosent like being lied to but risking death constantly for that?

The Order - i'll like it when I read in all when finished.

Durham Red - I've no idea who thought this was a good idea. Her character is neutered muted and constantly changing ethics (one moment all empathetic, the next sneering at people begging mercy). Who is actually saying 'mommy mommy please i'm scared' on the final page? I guess the guy she's drained but the panel before would suggest he's dead already. Weird. Bring back the Bitch, this Red is rotten.

Deadworld - great series. Not overly convinced crashing into a sector house is the most sensible idea for all concerned but time to cull a few characters I guess. Great stuff all round.
If I'd known it was harmless I would have killed it myself.

http://futureshockd.wordpress.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/FutureShockd

Frank

Quote from: BPP on 02 July, 2018, 11:16:03 PM
Cover - another very odd pose, looks like he's riding an invisible chopper





broodblik

Dredd – I really like Chris Weston's art. Nice detail on the city and it looks Mega again.  I can remember my first encounter with Weston art on Indigo Prime and at the time I did not really like it at the time but gosh his art has grown into one of the best Dredd artists lately.  The story is a significant improvement on last week dud.

Skip Tracer – This episode is action packed and now have a clearer path where it is heading towards.

The Order – one of my favourite recent thrills. Love the story and art.

Deadworld – great art that really suites the story. Kek-W keeps on delivering.

Durham Red – more of the same but I must agree that I preferred Ben Willsher's art
When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.

Old age is the Lord's way of telling us to step aside for something new. Death's in case we didn't take the hint.

Proudhuff

MODS!
Moderate this...

please spoiler that [spoiler]space (almost) apes.[/spoiler] in Colin's post, its an over the page reveal for a reason! It made me give a wee whoop when I saw the [spoiler]space (almost) apes.[/spoiler] emerge. Classic Dredd and a totally wonderful Dredd tale.

The rest of the prog left me cold I'm afraid, I try and read all four tales but I CBA about any of the characters, situations or indeed art, sorry chums colour me no interested...
DDT did a job on me

Bolt-01

Huff- I was going to make that a spolier- but frankly if you read the thread before the prog- then it's your own fault if you get a spoil.

Cover- I'd like it if Blake was looking along the sight line of one of the guns- as it is it looks like he's just leaped through the portal shooting wildly in the hope that he's visiting the den of the bad guys and not the playground of the local nursery.

Theblazeuk

Is the reporter at the start of the Dredd strip supposed to be Alan Yentob perhaps? Or some other sycophantic grifter I haven't recognised....  Mar-O-Larger will be reality in a few years, tenner bet :)

Frank

Quote from: Theblazeuk on 04 July, 2018, 01:16:15 PM
Is the reporter at the start of the Dredd strip supposed to be Alan Yentob perhaps? Or some other sycophantic grifter I haven't recognised.... 

It's brainbox bully/victim of bonkers Beeb PC Police Mark Lawson. From Williams & Cook's The Biographer (1537):





norton canes

Cover: Heh - only a couple of weeks after a discussion over whether a character was bursting through a portal, we get... yeah.

I'm sure no-one catalogs my pet peeves but one of them is that I prefer covers that are drawn by the strip's regular art team. Maybe only a couple out of every ten covers drawn by a guest artist really works (last week's attempt by Brendan McCarthy to capture Deadworld is a case in point). So a Marshall/Teague effort would have been infinitely preferable.

Dredd: Fun, most of the jokes work. The puns are a bit ersatz Abnett is places. The opening exchange concluding with "he don't like anything" is brilliant. Where's the pod actually going? A satellite, or something?

Weston's art is as incredible as ever.   

Skip Tracer: So ridiculously retro, all it needs is a 'THRILL 2' card in the bottom corner of the first page.

The Order: TOP THRILL (let's assume that's the case every week unless specified)

Loving the new automaton's swivelly head.

Durham Red: Yeah, no slight on Lee Carter but Willsher was really flying on art duties. Hope he hasn't like lost any income while he's been laid up unable to draw. Do artists generally have insurance for this sort of thing?

I liked the fleshing out of DR's blood cravings, gives her an added dimension.

Deadworld: Great installment, again.




Colin YNWA

Quote from: Proudhuff on 04 July, 2018, 12:31:28 PM
MODS!
Moderate this...

please spoiler that [spoiler]space (almost) apes.[/spoiler] in Colin's post, its an over the page reveal for a reason! It made me give a wee whoop when I saw the [spoiler]space (almost) apes.[/spoiler] emerge.

Yikes my apologies Proudhuff should have done that but didn't think on.

Sorry

Max Headroom